09 October 2015

Morning into evening

As I first started putting together this post one day last week I quickly made a note to follow up on later: "the difference between morning & evening." The first image was taken early in the day——a period when I normally do not even turn on my camera because there's no natural light in the apartment then——but the warm neutrals of the cappuccino & walnut toast on the wooden chopping board inspired me to record this peaceful moment of my morning.

Later in
the day I photographed some plums in honor of a friend's birthday (below), and
found the contrast between the morning/evening light & colors to be
astonishing! I realized that the two snapshots did a good job capturing the difference between how I feel first thing versus later in the day. While my mornings tend to be quiet——more measured & contemplative——late
afternoon & evening are when I seem to be in my element.
I've actually always wondered if your favorite (or most "comfortable") part of the day is
destined to be the time of your birth. Mine is recorded as 16:32, and I truly do feel most productive/inspired/hopeful/content around then (though, often, there's also a feeling of surprise that the hours have passed so quickly!).

This contrast-between-morning-&-evening concept feels particularly tangible to me at the moment, albeit on another level. As the minor injuries from a rather terrifying car accident I was in last week continue to heal, my mind keeps drifting to the "perfect" morning my parents & I were having as we made our way to their car on the outskirts of Florence. We managed to catch the bus before the public transportation strike began, stopped for a coffee at a lovely "bar," made a few purchases at the daily market in the piazza...But barely ten minutes into our drive we entered a tunnel where a four-car crash injured eleven of us (some very seriously, though my parents & I were extremely fortunate). The sunshiny morning that began so well & easily, so full of plans, was instead spent in the darkness of the tunnel, waiting among the wreckage for ambulances that finally whisked us to an afternoon passed in the pronto soccorso. Not at all what we could have imagined or hoped for as we set out earlier. And yet, a complete 180 to the day seems so minor when you realize how lucky you are simply to be alive. It's amazing the "distance" that can be traveled from one end of the day to another, whether measured by sunshine or on a physical/emotional/mental level. Sometimes all of the above!

Wishing you allcountlesshappy mornings & happy evenings...

*

It has been a while since I imported a post from

my original blog, but the return of plum season——and

wool slipper "season"——made me think of an entry that

I wrote on the first day of October, way back in 2009.Crazy how so many of the same little things repeat,

Thanks, Penny. I must admit that at first I wasn't sure if I would mention the accident here, but this kind of reality is a part of life. I think the last time I was in a car accident was exactly twenty years ago (possibly even to the day)...and I hope there will be at least another twenty years of safe travels!- Lisa

It's true, Kent - the many small, but beautiful, moments that make up each day deserve to be savored & cherished. If anything, this accident serves to reinforce the importance of gratitude. It's not often that we are faced with the possibility of our lives being changed forever, or even ended. But - once the sheer terror/horror of it all wears off - to have survived feels like an incredible gift...- Lisa

It is Thanksgiving week-end in Canada with amazing warm weather for this time of the year, Many reasons to be thankful, on a daily basis.I am really glad that you and your parents are o.k. I hope that we will her from you soon ! As others have mention, your photography is inspiring.Have a wonderful fall season,Céline

Happy Thanksgiving, Céline - I hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!I do hope to "be" in this space more regularly from now on...though I have just opened an Instagram account and will perhaps find it easier to be spontaneous about posting images there - we'll see!Wishing you a wonderful fall as well...- Lisa

I wanted to thank everyone for the thoughtful comments & emails in the past several days; they are much appreciated. We are all doing better. There's still fairly constant pain from the head trauma, but I'm sure I'll be back to my old self soon...Buona domenica to all of you!- Lisa

ARZIGOGOLARE is the second incarnation of my original blog, which I began after The Piazzas of Florence was published. As my focus shifted, the blog has evolved to include glimpses into everyday life in Florence + what's happening in my studio & kitchen.